Why is it that we only appreciate our healthy bodies to their fullest when we're not at our healthiest? It seems that we take for granted all of their natural abilities when something knocks us down. We've seen it with Jenn and her broken bum. We've seen it with Tish and her darn acid reflux. We've seen it with Kristen when her TMJ flares up. I've even demonstrated it myself with knee pain and pain during my pregnancy. I guess it's just easier to appreciate our butts, digestive systems, jaws and knees when they're broken.
After spending the last 10 or so days tending to my sick kids, I'm sick. I guess you can only expect it when someone is coughing directly in your face for a week. I have no medical confirmation that it's flu, but it's bad. The no appetite, fever, chills, no-one-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-been-this-sick kind of sick.
My eyes were burning, watering. I was shivering out of control. I ate three crackers in 24 hours, and I do not skip meals. Ever. I got in bed Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. and didn't get out until 9 a.m. the next morning except to pee, deal with my nose and take care of my kids in the middle of the night. And being so damn sick, I started thinking about my capable non-ill self. Why isn't she out running marathons, daily? Why isn't she cooking four-course meals more often? Heck, daily, after those marathons? Why is she not doing back flips even though she has no history of having any gymnastic ability of that caliber?
Point is, compared to feeling like I'm on my deathbed (I only half jokingly asked for my mommy, it was that bad), I feel like I'll be able to do anything when I'm running on all cylinders again. And I'm further reminded to appreciate my strong, healthy bod every day that it is so.
Have you avoided the Terrible Awful that is going around right now? What do you appreciate most when you're down and out? ---Erin